Why do we need diverse young leaders? Imagine a world where all leaders are of the same background and age group. There would be less diversity in opinions, skills, and strengths. Little progress would be made, and a lack of diversity would hinder opportunities, especially in rural communities. Young leaders can bring diverse and innovative opinions to assist in the improvement of rural Australia. Diversity within communities is at an all-time high, this can create barriers in bringing rural communities together. Language barriers, racism, and sexism can cause fractures in progress and force people out of rural communities. Young leaders from various backgrounds can put a stop to this by using their collective understanding of why we need diversity to break language barriers, replace prejudices with understanding, and encourage the inclusion of everyone in important conversations regarding mental health, education, and negative stereotypes.

In rural areas, mental illness and suicide have been a major issue due to a lack of knowledge on the topic and insufficient facilities. Each year, 1 in 5 rural Australians are reported to experience a mental illness, (Bishop et al., 2017). Due to the information about mental health provided in schools, young diverse leaders can help influence the generations that came before us about the symptoms and causes of mental illness. Older generations grew up in a time where mental illness was stigmatised, they were told they were weak if they showed emotions. The power rests upon the young leaders. We need to close the gaps in others’ understanding and make them aware that it is okay to not be okay. Young people contributing to the conversations surrounding mental health can change the stigma surrounding mental illness, people who suffer from these issues are able to find the courage to speak up and create a better life for themselves.

Another way to improve the lives of rural communities is to better educate the young citizens. The 2023 Naplan results have shown that children who live in regional and remote areas of our country are the ones who are struggling the most in Literacy and Numeracy. 48.3% of children who live in very remote areas are in need of additional support in comparison to the 7.9% of children who live is major cities. (Cassidy, 2023). This can cause young people to give up on their education which can correlate with unemployment, poverty, drug abuse, criminal activities, and social idolisation later in life, (Andreas, 2020). Young diverse rural leaders can help improve educational outcomes by being an advocate for younger generations, assisting those younger than them with their education and by showing them that they are capable of anything, despite being from a remote town. We need to highlight the visible need for role models to represent rural youth.

The future is in the hands of our youth, and we are ready. Ready to make change. Ready to push for action. Ready to improve rural communities. We are tired of the disadvantages in these areas, with a fire in our belly for change. Together, we can put a stop to the negative stereotypes surrounding rural communities and bring these communities closer. We need a voice to speak today after issues of yesterday and the rest of our tomorrow’s for the youth that follow us. The time for change is now, how will you advocate for the rural children of our future?

Bibliography:

 Cassidy, C, (2023, August 24). One in 10 students are falling behind on literacy and numeracy, revamped Naplan finds. The Guardian.
https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2023/aug/23/australia-naplan-results-literacy-numeracy-nsw-qld-vic-sa-nt-tas-wa 
Bishop, L., Ransom, A., Laverty, M., & Gale, L. (2017). MENTAL HEALTH IN REMOTE AND RURAL COMMUNITIES.
https://www.aph.gov.au/DocumentStore.ashx?id=2c59a5b5-58bd-43ba-906e-948ecbf8a9d5&subId=566424
Andreas. (2020, May 20). Causes, Effects and Solutions for a Lack of Education. E&C.
https://environmental-conscience.com/lack-of-education-causes-effects-solutions/